Meet Joe, WholeMade Kitchen’s Reboot MVP!

by Wholemade KitchenDecember 22, 2018

WholeMade Kitchen: Reboot Program Graduate Success Story

Joe learned about the Reboot Program when he decided to stop in and see what was being offered at newly opened WholeMade Kitchen. Behind the counter was a vibrant woman with a strong Australian accent. The first thing that struck him was the passion she had for the food being offered in the display fridge. Blue bands for salad, red bands for animal proteins, ochre bands for vegetable sides, big vats of aromatic bone broth and small containers of ferments and condiments. Rather than buying a series of containers, she encouraged him to build his own complete “meal.” That woman was WholeMade Kitchen’s owner Helen Allard. Joe instantly connected with Helen’s passion for the food along with her crusade to help people live healthier lives. There was a flyer on the counter about the 8-week Reboot Program and it sounded to him like a good way to learn how to eat properly.

Joe is 57 years old with a prior history of being on a statin drug to reduce his cholesterol. He recently stopped taking the drug because of the negative side effects. He told his doctor that he wanted to try to reduce his cholesterol by changing his diet but his doctor said that he would likely need to go back on the statin if he couldn't drop his total cholesterol level to under 200 mg/dl. He was also suffering plantar fasciitis and increasingly severe joint pain both of which he was considering medications to manage. He knew he was eating too many sweets and was looking for a healthier lifestyle. Being at a crossroads, his life goals were shifting. He loved hiking and the outdoors and was determined to climb Mount Katadin when he turned 70. His children were grown, and he wanted to be able to enjoy his upcoming role as a grandfather. Joe wanted to be active for as long as he can be.

Fortunately for Joe, he signed up for Helen Allard’s WholeMade Reboot Program and with some straight-forward changes in his diet, he has changed his life and his body awareness. From the first class, Joe’s eyes were opened. He hadn't ordered any of the WholeMade Kitchen prepared food as he was a little skeptical and was only there to listen. After the first workshop, he realized he wanted to start eating properly. He took WholeMade Kitchen’s chili recipe, went home and prepared a 6 pound batch so that he would have meals ready to eat. That became his new food routine—breakfast of bacon and eggs then dinner of whatever dish he batch-cooked from the WholeMade Kitchen recipes he received at class that week. He also started enjoying WholeMade’s gut healing bone broths. Most importantly, Joe was learning how to listen to his body and understand what his symptoms were telling him. After the Hydration workshop, he realized he was often dehydrated and that was contributing to his joint pain. Using the formula he received in class, he calculated what he should be drinking and increased his water intake (especially first thing every morning). He could tell by the feeling in his fingers when he was getting dehydrated and what to do so his body could absorb the water he was drinking. He also became aware of how his body was digesting food - chewing each mouthful long enough to make a paste, feeling the coating effect of the bone broth and experiencing the restorative effects from the nutrient-dense food he was making. Within 3 weeks he started seeing major changes and becoming aware of how his body was working. As someone who used to manage his weight by neglecting food, Joe was learning that if you eat the right the foods, especially healthy natural fats, you will feel nourished and satisfied by your meals, so you don’t crave sweets or feel deprived and your excess pounds quickly start to melt away.

Two weeks after completing the program, Joe went back to his doctor for his annual physical and to redo his blood work. By changing his eating habits and reducing his sugar and carb intake, his cholesterol levels were normalizing and were now within the proper range so he no longer needed to take a statin drug. Joe was also surprised he lost more than 15 pounds during the Reboot Program and says that he did it without starving, “I went from weighing about 205 down to 190 which I haven't been at since my 30's. I feel sharper mentally and have more energy physically as well as having improved my joint pain a lot. I’ll continue to rework my eating habits to include more fats and maintain a lower sugar and carb intake so I keep feeling this good.” While Joe still enjoys a good beer, glass of red wine, nip of bourbon and sweet treat from time to time, he is committed to his new lifestyle routine and the benefits it brings.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Before (Sept 2017) After (Nov 2018)

Cholesterol, Total: 219 196

HDL “Good” Cholesterol: 48 54

LDL “Bad” Cholesterol: 144 126

VLDL “Very Bad” Cholesterol: 27 16

Triglycerides: 133 82

It's been over a month since Joe completed the WholeMade Kitchen Reboot Program and he is still 190 pounds which he says is reassuring, “Learning to change my eating habits is work but the rewards are nice and I'll continue down this path going forward. Will I fall off the wagon from time-to-time? Absolutely! But this time I'll know how to get back on board that wagon fairly easily. And as I need help I can reach out to my Reboot classmates and my new friends at WholeMade Kitchen!”